What kind of badminton racket to buy

Before we start talking about the different aspects of a badminton racket, familiarize yourself with the name of the different parts so you can easily find where to look on the racket. When comparing the weight of two rackets, the heavier one will give you more power.

The weight of a racket can be found on the cone and is often seen together with the grip sizing. Nowadays, rackets are getting lighter and will come in 5U and 6U as well. U and 2U are less common and are usually found in training rackets [ 1-Yonex ] [ 2-Victor ] meant to workout the wrist and forearm muscles. Some training rackets can even weigh over g!

Badminton rackets have three types of balances. The balance of a racket can usually be found written somewhere on the shaft. Head heavy rackets give you the extra edge when hitting a smash as the head weight contributes to the momentum of a players swing and gives them more power in their shots.

The downside is that with a heavier head, your reaction to shots might be a bit sluggish when on the defense. The added head weight will also be taxing on your wrist when hitting quick drives and defensive blocks. View our popular Head Heavy Badminton Rackets!

Head light rackets will give you the upper hand when engaging in fast drive exchanges A lighter head gives players the ability to quickly react to shots, heightening their defensive abilities. A downside to a lighter head is that you won't have as much power in your smashes but you will have better control and placement of your half smashes with a quick flick of the wrist.

View our popular Head Light Badminton Rackets! Even balanced rackets are in between the other two types. They are quite versatile in that they can still pack a punch when smashing and be quick enough to react to defensive shots. They are all-rounded and are suitable for most type of players. View our popular Even Balanced Badminton Rackets! Badminton Rackets range from flexible, medium flex, stiff, to extra stiff. When choosing a racket, you should take into consideration the speed of your swing so that it matches with the rackets flexibility.

T he ideal stiffness is proportional to the racket speed you can generate. A flexible racket will not recoil fully before the shuttle is hit, meaning the energy in flexing the racket is essentially wasted. However, if the racket is too stiff for your swing speed, it will not be flexed enough, and thus won't contribute any extra power. OR use Badminton Warehouse's easy to use badminton racket selection guide to find the perfect badminton racket for you, in 6 simple steps.

Tips for selecting the right badminton racquet for your needs Frame : Low-torque performance and a solid feel on impact come from a high-tension graphite composite frame. More expensive racquets generally use higher yield modulus graphite to reduce frame torque.

Flexibility : Shaft flexibility should be selected based on individual playing style. Offensive players should use a racquet with a stiffer shaft for better power. Defensive players should select a more flexible shaft for better control. Weight and Balance : Advanced players should select racquets with the ideal weight and balance suited for their individual playing styles.

For comparably balanced racquets, the lighter racquet will yield less power in a smash. Usually a defensive player primarily focuses on the receive and on court placement and should therefore select a head-light and flexible racket for lightening fast maneuverability. Offensive players should use head-heavy and stiffer racquets for harder smashes, longer drives and higher lobs.

Stringing : For beginner and intermediate players string tension of 15 - 22 lbs. The higher the tension on the frame the more fragile it becomes. If you are unsure about how much flex you need, then you should purchase a medium or medium-stiff flex badminton racket.

A stiffer shaft will bend and then unbend very quickly, ensuring the explosive swing-speed player has the maximum power and control possible. By comparison, a slower swing-speed player would not be able to use the advantage of a stiff shaft as the shaft would not bend or unbend enough, resulting in a loss of power. A more flexible shaft will bend and unbend much more easily, ensuring that players will get the racket to bend and unbend to the required level.

By comparison, a more explosive, fast swing-speed player using a more flexible frame would connect with the shuttle prematurely, before the shaft unbends and is still bent backwards, resulting in a loss of control and power. The weight is denoted by "U"; the smaller the number, the heavier the weight. For example, 3U g is heavier than 4U g. If you are a singles player , then we would recommend choosing the 3U option as this will provide more overall mass without affecting the balance , ensuring that the racket offers more stability at the cost of a little speed.

The majority of singles players now use 3U rackets as standard. If you are a doubles player , then we would recommend choosing the 4U option as this will provide more speed to your game, allowing you to react much quicker at the net and against opposing smashes. The majority of doubles players now use 4U rackets as standard. The grip size is denoted by "G"; the smaller the number, the larger the handle size. Yonex rackets come in G4 as standard, whereas Victor rackets come in G5 as standard.

The racket tension is denoted by "x lb to y lb"; the minimum to the maximum stringing tension recommended. Generally we recommend that beginners play with a tension closer to the lower-end, as this will provide additional power for them.